MCGREGOR, Texas — The path of a proposed major natural gas pipeline is causing some worries in Central Texas. That's whether it will cross the McGregor SpaceX facility.
The DeLa Express pipeline would carry two billion cubic feet of natural gas per day from West Texas to Louisiana with a direct path through Texas.
A 6 News viewer reached out asking if the project will be passing by SpaceX because that's how it appears on maps.
People say they are worried about the ground vibrations and this impact on the pipeline.
THE QUESTON
Will the proposed pipeline pass by McGregor's SpaceX?
OUR SOURCE
Celeste Miller, Media Relations for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), Moss Lake Partners, the company behind the DeLa Express Project and Bryan LeMeilleur, McGregor City Planner
THE ANSWER
Yes, the proposed project would be near SpaceX.
WHAT WE FOUND
FERC tells 6 News their team is reviewing the planned route:
"We are currently in the pre-filing process for this proposed project, so we are reviewing the planned route and considering issues raised in comments received from the public, including evaluating potential alternative route variations."
Moss Lake Partners confirmed in a statement the proposed route would be 1.5 miles away from the facility:
“We developed the proposed DeLa Express pipeline route to meet the Project objectives while minimizing the impact to sensitive environmental resources, special use areas, and congested areas. The proposed pipeline route would be approximately 1.5 miles from the SpaceX facility in McGregor, TX, at its nearest point.”
There are two other pipelines already in Coryell County is close proximity. The City of McGregor says they feel safe with the distance and there's nothing to be concerned with as far as ground vibration.
"Looking at their map from the point of origin to where it's terminating, there may be some deviation as they build it out, but the likelihood of it getting any closer than what is currently proposed is very low," LeMeilleur said. "I think the concern is maybe the vibrations that people feel from SpaceX. Specifically, SpaceX doesn't actually vibrate the ground. We have seismic monitors in the ground that show that there's no ground vibration. It's over pressure in the air, so there's nothing to be concerned with there, as far as like, ground vibration."
If you are interested in providing input on the pipeline, you can find information here.